Become a Personal Trainer – The Courses You Need
What’s Your Story?
So you just skated through college because college seemed to be the track that everyone was taking, so you just joined the ride. Perhaps you didn’t quite know your aptitudes and abilities so you picked a random major that you have no intention of using. Maybe you didn’t even go to college. Or now you’re just ready for a career change. You love fitness and you love helping other so becoming a personal trainer seems like the most logical combination of your passion and interests. But how do you get there from here? How do you acquire the skills you need to become a qualified and successful personal trainer?
The Good News:
The great news is that regardless of your current educational field and level of experience, with the right amount of drive and discipline, you can become a certified personal trainer and start experiencing the joy of helping others reach their fitness goals. As a personal trainer, you will be looked to not only for your knowledge and skills but also you ability to motivate and challenge your clients.
What to Look For:
There’s a wide variety of courses available for people with no previous personal training experience. However, don’t just choose the first one you come across. You need to make sure that the program will not only meet your needs but that it will make you employable as well. Most gyms only recognize nationally accredited personal trainer certifications, so when choosing a course, you need to find one that will prepare you to sit for a nationally accredited exam. Big names that are widely accepted in the field of personal trainers include the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), the American Council on Exercise (ACE), the American College of Sports Medicine (ASCM) just to name a few.
Your Options:
Depending on your educational background and level of experience in the fitness field, you can enroll in a training course that will prepare you for the certified personal trainer (CPT) exam. There are live training courses that you can attend that are offered over a short but intense period of time. You opt for a self-study program that allows you to set your own pace. There are textbooks, study guides, and lab manuals as well as MP3s and DVDs to aid you in your studies. Some courses offer coaching webinars online. Ultimately, you’ll have to find a course style that suits your schedule and study habits. If you are a communal learner, enrolling in a classroom setting may be best for you. On the other hand, if you are disciplined and able to pace yourself appropriately, a self-study course might be right for you. With most of these programs, the more materials you invest in, the more money you save. Purchasing study packages is often a better deal than getting each study piece one by one.
Getting Certified:
The important thing to remember is not to cram for your test. Personal training courses involve a lot of material including anatomy and physiology as well as health and nutrition. Take your time and learn the material thoroughly. Once you have adequately prepared and learned the material, you are ready to sit for your exam. Schedule your exam for a day when you will have plenty of time to prepare. Before the exam, get a good night’s sleep and eat a healthy breakfast the day of the exam.
Staying Certified:
Certification doesn’t end with your exam. You must constantly be learning and keeping up with the latest research and trends in health and fitness. Your certification organization will require you to get re-certified by keeping up with Continuing Education Units (CEUs). A career as a personal trainer is both challenging and rewarding, well worth the effort.
Check out this blog post to start you on your journey becoming a Personal Trainer and learning all about Courses and Certificates.
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To Your Success,
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What Do You Think Of This Article?
I'd love to hear your thoughts and feedback. Post your comment below.
Wow. As a total exercise bum myself, I instantly felt wanting to take the personal training career route after reading this. Makes me think trying this career for a change. I need more research though. I hope you don’t mind me skimming through your articles. Cheers, Casey!
Skim away Paul. With the boom of the fitness industry we will need as many personal trainers as possible.